1 iimmniimMiaafc
10
KDITOIMAt.3
VOI-. VIII,
I
If you lalcu exception l wltul wo say
in llioso coluiniis, or lo whnl'our contrib
utors say, thou please lo hand in a criti
cism on llio matter in question. No
harm need result hut ratlier mutual prollt.
Wo liked the belligerent, disposition
shown by tlio ralladians last term in re
plying to oaeh othois' essays. Life and
vigor are thus shown in a literary society,
and the same is no less true of a college
journal. What say, then, to having a
miscellany in the contributed department
of the StuuuntV
A STATEMENT AND A THOUHUT.
One ofour philosophic citizens assorted,
not many years since, that in considering
the limit lo which society may go, we
must at the outset discard all ideas of any
radical change in the nature of man,
since his desiies and passions -ire the
same, on Hie average, as they always were.
There are, perhaps, good grounds for
this statement. Man is indeed capable
of progress, but only in his intellectual
nature. All his culture has created no
new faculty, but only developed those
which are the common properjy of the
race. Considered in his physical nature,
lie does not advance, for the savage may
possess as fine a physique as the civilized
man. The intellectual in man, therefore,
is constantly modified and conditioned
by the physical.
If wo assume as substantially correct
the aforesaid statement, a thought sug
gests itself. Many persons seem to think
that progress will continue to take rapid
strides, and, perhaps, at an accelerated
speed. That this will bo the case may
be questioned. If the civilization of to
day possesses throughout the element of
vitality, wc could reasonably predict
such a result. Hut that this condition ex
ists is by no means obvious. Our present
culture hVs been characterized as robust
in the body but weak in the head. It is
yet in its youth, and is thus nearer the
source of inspiration to effort than wo
may expect it to become after ages or
conventionality.
Exncriinontal science has assumed
wonderful proportions, and it has greatly
influenced those branches of our knowl
edge which are based upon reasoning
alone; but this lias been chielly due to the
aid which our artificial appliances afford.
We are told that no keener intellects
have existed than those who wasted their
powers in scholastic disputation. The
general attainments of a man, in our day,
become still more superficial as the Hold
of knowledge is extended. An adequate
understanding of a single branch of in
quiry with its subtile complications, im
plies tlio toil of a life-time. What may wo
then say of the attainments of the man of
general lniormation? rno practical
duties of life have always been considered
of prime importance, and this fact will
ever preclude tho acquirement of ex
tended information on the part of the
average person. Men will either bo spec
ialists or they will content themselves
with possessing a practical stock of gen
eral knowledge. We may then expect
the former class to be as limited in the
future as It is in the present.
THE MILITARY (JUKSTION.
We are frequently asked why, as stu
dents, wo do not speak our opinion in re.
gard to tho compulsory military drill.
All such personal inquirers, wo refer to
an article that appeared in the Editorial
columns of this magazine, May, 1878. At
that time, wo think wo clearly set forth
the opinions of four fifths of all the stu
dents then in connection witli the Univer
sity. And now after tlio elapse of nine
months wo believe, judging from tlio ox
pressed sentiment of the students, that
there is no material change in their an
tipathy to coercive military drill.
We still believe that the land grant
does not demand compulsory drill in tlio
college of Literature, Science and Art.
Tho phrase, " Including military tactics,"